John t



(No Model.)

J. T. POUGHER. GAR COUPLING. No, 497,208. Patented May 9, 1893.

4 IE I1 I wil mmfig I Urvtrno STATES PATENT @rrrcs.

JOHN T. POUG'l-IER, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO ALOIS AUFRIOHTIG, OF SAME PLACE.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 497,208, dated May 9,1893.

Application filed January 21. 1893- Serial No. 459,173. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOHN T. Poocrmn, of the city of St. Louis and State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Oar-Couplings, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof.

My invention relates to improvements in automatic car couplings and consists in the novel arrangement and combination of parts, as will be more fully herein after described and designated in the claims.

The object of my invention is to construct a simplified article in this line which is superior to those now in use. I

The car coupling as constructed after the method of my invention is practically a facsimile of the common draw head coupling which has stood the test of a great many years use, and instead of, like others, necessitating all cars to be provided with similar couplings, this improvement can be coupled with any ordinary link and pin coupling.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a perspective View of my invention shown and applied to an ordinary freight car, portions of which are broken away. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view of my complete invention, showing the alternate position of the pin in operation. Fig. 3 is aperspective view of the pin removed from the other parts.

Referring to the drawings: 1 indicates a portion of the end of a freightcar, and 2, the cross-piece which forms aportion of the support of the car. 3 indicates the draw-bar secured under said car as is usual in such constructions and having upon its outer end what is commonly termed a draw-heads which is provided with an orifice 5 in its end, the four walls of which are slightly flaring. The bottom 6 of the cavity 7 within said draw-head 4, extends downwardly and inwardly in order to form a guide for the link 8, which is in position for engagement by the other coupling.

In the upper wall 9 of the draw-head 4 is a rectangular depression 10, between the walls of which is pivoted the pin 11. The pin 11 comprises two arms 12 and 13 and are in the form of an elbow, the connecting points 14 of said arms 12 and l3beingadapted to receive the pressure and pull exerted by the link 8. The arm 12 of the pin 11 is somewat shorter than the arm 13,said arm 13 having uponitsupper end and exteriorof the top of the draw-head, a

flange 15surmounted bya knob 16, by means of which said pin is manipulated. The top wall of the draw-head 4 is provided with a vertical opening 17 through which said pin is adapted to operate,the walls of said openingbeingslightly flared to give room for the upward movement of the pin as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 2. In this connection it is necessary to state that in constructing this coupling, the pin is cast integrally with said draw-head and bar upon its shaft 18 by means of cores and other appurtenances well known to the molding trade. The shaft 18 is located horizontally in the opening 10 and is held in the side walls of said opening which merge into the top 9 and side walls of said draw-head. The bottom of the draw-head has a projection 19 immediately in front of the depression 6 and serves as a stop for the movement of the pin 11 as shown particularly in Fig. 2. Above said depression 6 and at the rear of same is a projection 20 into which the link is adapted to engage in order that it will readily be coupled when two cars meet. The form of the pin with the curved back-arm 13 is adapted to resist the greatest possible strain which may be exerted against it, this form of pin also guaranteeing the ready coupling of the links.

The pin may be made of cast steel, or malleable or wrought iron, and the placing of said pin inside of the core of the draw-head, the same is cast in its proper position. The position of the pin within the draw-head prevents any strain or pressure on the same at its weakest point, namely, where it is secured in said draw-head by the shaft 18. Owing to the recess in the rear of the draw-head under the projection 20, the link 8 is always held in a proper position for coupling by another draw-head.

In order that the pin may be operated from the side or the top of the car I have provided a horizontal rod 21 held in staples 22 upon the end of the car above the cross-piece 2, said arm having upon both ends, means for operating the said bar, the same generally consisting of crank-arms 22, which when the rod is in normal position, depends in vertical alignment with the end of the car. Secured upon said rod 21 opposite the draw-head 4 and projecting toward the same is an arm 24, to the lower end of which is pivoted a horizontal arm 25, the forward end of which is pivotally secured to the knob 16 upon the pin 11. By pulling either of the cranks 23 outward from the car, the arm 24 is brought outwardly and necessarily moves the arm 25, thus drawing the pin out of the draw-head and from engagement with the links 8.

In order that the pin may be operated from the top of the car, I have provided an additional arm 26 secured to said rod 21, a chain 27 being secured to the end of said arm 26, the pulling up of which from the top of the car operates the arms 24 and 25 similar to the operation of same, if the crank-handles 23 are used. If from any cause the pin 11 becomes broken, I have provided a vertical opening 28 in the bottom of the draw-head,said opening 28 being provided in alignment with the opening 17 in the top of the draw-head and into which an ordinary pin is adapted to be placed.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that my invention can be constructed in a Very thorough and effective manner, the cost of production being no more than the ordinary link and coupling now used, while the advantages gained by the improvement are many.

To uncouple the link, the hand is placed upon the knob 16 and the same drawn forwardly and upwardly until the pin assumes the position as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 2 in which it will be seen that the pin is e11- tirely out of engagement with said link and the same is readily drawn outwardly from the draw-head. When said pin is allowed to resume its normal position, whether engaging a link or not, the same rests against the projection 19, which determines the normal position of said pin.

The coupling of the link is automatic in action. When the link already held in one draw-head engages the pin in the other head, the pin raises by the engagement of the link therewith into a position similar to that it operated by hand, and when the link has passed the elbow in the pin, said pin drops of its own weight and secures the link.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim is 1. An improved automatic car coupling comprising a draw-bar 3, a draw-head at upon one end thereof, a substantially rectangular opening 7 in the said draw-head, the walls of the orifice 5 of said opening 7 being outwardly flared, a rectangular depression 10 in the upper wall of said draw-head,a pin 11 comprising a short arm 12 and a longer one 13 mountedv upon a shaft 18 cast in the walls of said depression 10, the arms 13 of said pin 11 provided with an enlarged upper end exterior of the draw-head, and the upward and forward movement of said pin adapted to disengage the link, substantially as set forth.

2. An improved automatic car coupling comprising a draw-bar,a draw-head upon the end thereof, a pin consisting of two arms curvilinear in form pivoted in a rectangular depression in the upper wall of said drawhead, a projection upon the bottom wall of same to limit the forward movement of said pin, a recess in the rear of said draw-head into which said link is adapted to engage for coupling by an adjacent draw-head, a rod revolubly mounted upon the end of the car, handles upon both ends of said rod by means of which it is manipulated,an arm secured to said rod and connected with the head of the pin by a connecting-rod, an additional arm secured to said rod, a chain secured to said arm and leading to the top of the car, and the turning of said rod either by the chain from the top of the car or the handles upon the end of the same adapted to raise and push forward said pin to uncouple the link in said drawhead, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN T. POUGHER.

Witnesses:

HERBERT S. ROBINSON, ED. E. LONGAN. 

